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Mexico State Legislators Request Call of Juarez Ban

We had a sneaking suspicion that Call of Juarez: The Cartel, a game based on the modern-day gang violence plaguing Mexico, would run into...

We had a sneaking suspicion that Call of Juarez: The Cartel, a game based on the modern-day gang violence plaguing Mexico, would run into controversy. It's starting even earlier than expected, though, as MSNBC reports that Mexican officials are asking federal authorities to ban the game.

State legislators in Chihuahua, where Ciudad Juarez is actually located, unanimously approved a request for the Mexican Interior Department to ban the game.

The violence in Juarez has escalated in recent years; roughly 6,000 people died in 2009 and 2010. "It is true there is a serious crime situation, which we are not trying to hide," said Chihuahua congressman Ricardo Boone Salmon. "But we also should not expose our children to this kind of scenarios so that they are going to grow up with this kind of image and lack of values."

State congress leader Enrique Serrano said the legislature is concerned for the children who actually live in Juarez, who are already surrounded by violence and are even taught "duck and cover" techniques in case gunfire breaks out. He fears that a game with violent local imagery could reinforce the real-life violence, making them "believe so much blood and death is normal."

Steve Watts

Editor-In-Chief

Steve Watts' youthful memories are are a blur of pixels, princesses, castles, and Mega Busters. After writing about games as a pastime for years, he got his first shot at a paid gig at 1UP. He's freelanced for several sites since then, and found a friendly home at Shacknews. His editorial duties include news, reviews, features, and lunatic ravings. He lives in the Baltimore-Washington area with his shockingly understanding wife.